1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rollers for advancing paper sheets into paper folding machines, and more particularly to a roller for use with glue applying paper folding machines, which roller includes a plurality of detachable, spaceable segmented roller elements, carried on a metal shaft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In certain paper folding machine operations, it is necessary and desirable to be able to apply lines of glue to the paper sheets to be folded so that they may be bound in the folding machine. Examples of such products obtained by using paper with glue lines thereon would be double lottery tickets, wallets, and multiple page documents. It is important that none of the glue which is laid down on the paper sheets prior to folding, actually get on the roller surfaces, as the paper sheets would then stick to the roller and the glue would interfere with the machine's operation.
The common practice in the folding machine industry when it is desired to lay down glue lines on paper sheets, is to groove the roller or set of rollers which pick up the paper at the glue locations. With this approach, every time the location of the glue lines are changed it is necessary to groove the roller or to install another roller, all of which is awkward, expensive, and time consuming.
various rollers have been used in folding machines for paper advancement, such as those disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,423, to Shuster and U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,971, to Moll which while suitable for paper advancement, would not be useful for advancing paper sheets with glue lines without drastic modifications which could defeat their intended purpose, and/or result in the problems described above.
The roller of the invention provides a self-cleaning gripping surface with easy placement and replacement of the roller elements, to accommodate different numbers and spacings of gluing lines.